Healthy skepticism saves money

Monday

Aug 27, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Mitch Lipka Consumer Alert

Repeat after me: “You can’t get something for nothing.” Got that?

Now this one: “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”

They are clichés for a reason. Yet even if a sucker isn’t born every minute, plenty of consumers turn into one by thinking they can get something for nothing and by believing claims that are too good to be true.

The temptations that lead many a consumer astray take various forms. Indeed, some actually are forms.

If you see a pad of contest entry forms in front of a car (or vacation or whatever) at a mall with a sign that says “You can win…,” you are being led to temptation. Inevitably, on the back of that form that you must fill out to “win” will be some explanation about how all that personal information you’re divulging will be used to try to sell you timeshares or some such thing.

Your personal information is valuable, and by offering it up with the mistaken belief you have a chance to win a vehicle or a trip is why those clichés exist. You’ll also likely be opening yourself up to a spate of other sales calls because a) you just authorized it; and b) you’ve been branded a sucker.

At festivals, at ballgames — just about anywhere that people congregate in large numbers — there’s a chance you’ll confront one of these contests and people entering them. Walk past.

Similarly, take note of “deals” like those you see on infomercials, where if you buy one, you get another free or some other enticement, making it appear as though you’re getting way more for your money. There’s usually a quickly spoken disclaimer or an asterisk on the screen that explains you’ll pay for processing or handling for the “free” item. If you haven’t already experienced it, that added cost can be as much, or more, as the item’s price.

Apply the same logic to trial subscriptions. Some are particularly shady, but many are predicated on the knowledge that many people simply won’t cancel when that free period is up, even if they don’t plan to continue it.

Apply a dose of skepticism to the offers you’ll likely encounter throughout your lives. Consider what is behind them before you decide to move forward. Do they want your personal information? Do they want your credit card number? What do they want?

Or, just avoid the temptations and live by the cliché.

Mitch Lipka is a nationally known consumer columnist and runs TheConsumerChronicle.com. He lives in Worcester. You can find him on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/MitchLipka. If you’re having a run-in with a business, think you’re being mistreated as a consumer or have seen something that you think your fellow consumers ought to know about, let him know. You can email Mitch at ConsumerNews@Aol.com.